The Execution of Noel Aguilar

There are videos showing shootings that cause my mouth to fall open. They make me sad. Some have brought me to tears. Some have caused me to feel helpless. (Oh God! If I only had the power to resurrect the dead.)

There are no words to describe what I felt when watching the video of the killing of Noel Aguilar. The closest I can come to describing my feelings is when seeing photos of Nazi Germany officers nonchalantly shooting Jewish men, point blank. That was before my time. It was in another country. It was during war.

Noel was 23-years old. What happened to Noel is during my life-time. It happened in my country. There is a war between truth and lies. Certainly, if the truth is told, then just maybe citizens could sigh in relief that justice will be served. But, when there are lies to cover up murder, what can citizens do?

The ACLU of Southern California calls the video “chilling.”

It’s hard to watch, but we must watch. Noel deserves it. As chilling as it is, we must watch.

The backdrop of the story makes the video all the more chilling. It is usual to hear stories of officer involved shootings that allege that the suspect was armed with a gun. In some of those cases, it turns out that the suspect did have a gun. In some cases, it was a toy gun that the officer claimed not being distinguishable from a real gun. In some cases, the officer was at risk. In other cases, no gun was found. In some cases, a cell phone or keys were mistaken for guns. There are cases where officers or rent-a-cops mistook their guns for tazers. And then, there are cases where officers were simply angry, and used their weapon.

So much death. So many unnecessary deaths.

In this case, one deputy shot his partner, and blamed it on Noel, who was then executed by the wounded officer.

It happened in May 2014. The story did not go viral and was hardly known until December 2015 when Noel’s family released the cell phone video.

Noel was riding his bike in Long Beach when two Los Angeles County Sheriffs pulled him over. Witnesses reported that Noel wrestled away from them and ran. The Sheriffs pursued him on foot and caught up with him. There was an immediate claim by one of the deputies that Noel had a gun. The cell phone video shows something on the ground that might be a gun taken from Noel.

The video has arrows/ pointers, showing how one deputy takes his gun from its holster. We hear a shot fired and the other officer crying out that he’s been shot. Apparently, knowing that the bullet in his partner would match his gun, the deputy lied and said that Noel disarmed him and shot his partner. The video shows otherwise.

With Noel face down on the ground, the wounded officer shoots Noel in the back 4 times. Although wounded, he and his partner laid on Noel smothering the life from him. We hear Noel say, “I’m dying.”

Angel Carrazco Jr. is an attorney for the Aguilars, and has filed a federal civil lawsuit on behalf of the family, and is handing the fresh evidence over to the Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Attorney’s office and the L.A. County District Attorney’s office with the hopes of bringing criminal charges against the deputies.

Carrazco told the LA Times that the actions by the deputies were “a blatant execution” because Aguilar was not a lethal threat; he’d already been disarmed. He was handcuffed.

Catherine Wagner, an ACLU staff attorney, stated to the OC Weekly,

“It’s not just the shooting itself that raises questions about the force used by the deputies, but their behavior afterward. After shooting Mr. Aguilar multiple times, the officers, rather than attempting to resuscitate him or keep him alive, they appeared to have just laid on top of him in a way that would ensure further harm.”

The deputies were identified as Jose Ruiz and Albert Murad. Both deputies are back in the field, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Department, which said an internal affairs investigation has been completed, and a force review committee will decide next month whether there were any policy, tactical, supervisory or training violations. Their investigation does not include the possibility of criminal charges because Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey refused to press charges.

As for reopening a criminal investigation, L.A. County District Attorney’s spokeswoman Jane Robinson told OC Weekly her office needs a copy of the video before they can even consider reopening the case. “When we receive any new evidence we will review it,” Robinson said.

On January 16, 2015, more than 300 people gathered to protest and demand accountability. They marched to the Compton Courthouse, shutting down the Metro Blue Line along the way.

Absolutely unbelievable !!! One stupid cop, intent on shooting someone, shoots his partner. Like at that distance he misses his intended target……………then the other stupid idiot shoot Aguilar in the back 4 times…….are they for real ? and why are they still breathing our air.

I ask…………..do all these bad cops have naked pictures of the prosecutors ?????

The cover up started at the 6:00 minute mark. At about 6:50 one cop points his gun at people on the 2nd floor and tells them to get in the house. A 2nd then a 3rd cop follows. Shocked those witnesses are alive.

There is no sign of anyone but the cops being armed, and the only victim is cuffed, face down and dead. Neither Ruiz nor Murad tells them the scene is clear or secure.

Racer,
You make a good point about the witnesses. I wonder if they were interviewed for the “investigation” — the one where only the deputies’ words were considered? Or, maybe the witnesses were too afraid to give statements because they witnessed an execution by a man who can do the same to them.

While the topic itself is grim, I was very pleased to see this blog post. I have been involved for over a year and a half in a battle I put myself into for the right of a livestreamer to film abuse in her hometown and region in Ferguson/St. Louis without being targeted, retaliated against by authorities and/or zealot, vigilante supporters of corrupt regimes. The right to film and question abuse of authority figures MUST continue. As I have TRIED (somewhat in vain) to tell many persons, my role in the Ferguson/St. Louis issue began not just as a twitter follower of a livestreamer (and also picked up a notorious stalker by the way) the REASON for my involvement and interjection of my person is VERY PERSONAL and deeply rooted in history and in my soul, conscience and DNA.

While some may know this and some may not I have lived a very interesting life thus far and have encountered very interesting and some historical figures through various employment positions and via the works of members of my family. TWO members (one of whom in most recent history) is a cousin, Robert Gisevius, former of the New Orleans Police Department, who, to my shame, participated in the Danziger 7 massacre post Katrina and is serving 38 years for civil rights violations for his role in the shooting, covering up, and attempted set up of a dentist, in the massacre of innocent black people running across the Danziger bridge post Katrina.

The OTHER is a cousin and great grand Uncle to both of us, who had yet another infamous role. If you wouldn’t mind Xena, my indulgence in posting a bit of this history, since you posted the picture of the heinous act of the Nazi SS officer.

The other such member in history is a grand uncle, Hans Berndt Gisevius, who wrote the book “To the Bitter End” which became “Valkryie” the movie starred in by Tom Cruise. Many like to say Hans was an “SS” “Nazi” which of course, he was not. He was a Prussian attorney and yes when pressed into service after Germany claimed Prussia, he was put into SS service (like he had a choice in the matter). I’m very proud of the fact that Hans participated in the attempt to eliminate Hitler (although assassination, by its very act and definition is abhorrent”). Also to note, he worked with Alan Dulles to PREVENT other players in the plot and post Nazi regime, from going to the Russian/Soviet regime for alliance. My late mother was Joyce Gisevius, Daughter of Roy, Niece of Frederick, my great uncle, (Side Note: another brilliant legal mind who won the landmark case for Jay and minor child “Mariska Hargitay” actress, daughter of the late Jayne Mansfield whereby the hotel owner in New Orleans loaned a visibly and obvious intoxicated Jayne Mansfield Hargitay his vehicle, which led to the death of Ms. Mansfield in a tragic auto accident on the Chef Highway in New Orleans. A precedent setting case whereby the first case leading to a verdict of responsibility for providing a vehicle to an impaired driver resulting in death and injury).

Back to Hans Bernd Gisevius role in plot to overthrow/assassinate Hitler, testimony at Nuremberg.

“Dulles and Gisevius had opposed the use of a bomb, preferring a pistol up close or a sniper in a motorcade ambush as more likely to succeed and their fears proved true. Gisevius supported the coup but was against the bomb plot, as he told Von Stauffenberg: “I just I have the feeling we’ll never succeed. I’m not speaking through fear. But I have a feeling very few of us will be alive this time next year, regardless of what happens with your bomb.”

The bomb failed to kill Hitler and hundreds, some say thousands were subsequently rounded up and executed, but Gisevius escaped with the assistance of Bancroft and Dulles, who provided him with fake credentials.

After the war Bancroft translated Gisevius’ account of the Third Reich and following Gisevius’ testimony against the Nazi leadership at Nuremberg, which sent them to the gallows, Dulles brought Gisevius to Washington as a CIA consultant.”

another

Gedenkst�tte Deutscher Widerstand

Biographies

Hans Bernd Gisevius

(July 14, 1904 – February 23, 1974)
Hans Bernd Gisevius began his service with the political police in Prussia in August 1933 after studying law. As a civil servant, he experienced first hand the creation of the Gestapo and the murder of members of the SA and many innocent people on June 30, 1934. Later Gisevius left public administration as a higher executive officer. He was party to the military circles’ initial assassination plans in 1938. Following the German invasion of Poland, Gisevius was pressed into service in the Office for Foreign Affairs/Counter Intelligence of the Armed Forces High Command under Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, where he utilized old and new contacts for his activities. He was in contact with the western Allies and represented the German military opposition in foreign-policy negotiations. Gisevius resided in Switzerland as part of his Counter Intelligence duties, and traveled to Berlin shortly before the attempt on Hitler’s life. On July 20, 1944, he spent several hours in the Bendler Block, the conspirators’ command center. When the attempted coup failed, he succeeded in avoiding the Gestapo and returning to Switzerland. In 1947, he testified as a witness before the military tribunal in Nürnberg.

Gisevius was born in Arnsberg in the Prussian Province of Westphalia the son of a Prussian High Court Judge. After studying law he was employed by the Prussian Ministry of the Interior. When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, he became increasingly concerned about the illegal activities of the police. After the Night of the Long Knives he left the ministry and went to work in the private sector.

Gisevius had compiled dossiers on Nazi officials which he eventually took to Wilhelm Canaris and Hans Oster of Abwehr. In 1939, Canaris employed Gisevius as chief of special projects. The following year he was sent as military intelligence officer in the German consulate in Zurich where he made contact with Allen Dulles of the Office of Strategic Services.

With Wilhelm Canaris and Hans Oster, Gisevius began to plot the overthrow of Adolf Hitler. When Gisevius was exposed as being involved in the July Plot in 1944 he fled to Britain. Hans Gisevius, who provided important evidence against the Nazi leaders during the Nuremberg War Trials, died in 1974.

I believe he is partly to credit (or blame) for whatever it is implanted in my DNA to fight against injustices and the inherent right to demand fair and impartial review without retaliation nor retribution.

I guess the short version of my long winded history is Hans Gisevius didn’t approve of what he witnessed, he sought and compiled dossiers on the police, he continued all the way up to Hitler.

When I entered the Ferguson discussion, it was because of the more recent history and shame I carry by the acts and deeds of my cousin. A religious man, pious in his Catholicism, did indeed participate in a heinous massacre of innocent black people, lie then attempt to cover it up, and proceed to participate in attempting to blame an innocent black dentist.

When I was subsequently attacked, some by righteously indignant police supporters but majority would talk “at” me sneeringly, “you really believe that cops would…..lie..conspire…” and yes…I would answer…yes…because they did. Danziger 7. However shocking the execution or assassination of Noel is, my reaction was “no no, not AGAIN” not can this really happen in America. Because it has, it does, it continues to happen. Until we address the laws that the Supreme Court and States have continuously upheld, raise this standard whereby the view of the Courts hold “as long as the officer is in fear for his life or person”, the Courts will continue to rule in favor of the officer or grand juries will fail to indict. The BAR must be raised, the STANDARD for shooting or continuing to shoot individuals, suspects, and proper IN DEPTH review must ensue via independent unbiased civilian/professional review boards before decisions not to charge are rendered.